Hey there,
I'd never heard of Lucy Jones before I moved to Los Angeles, but apparently any true Angeleno would immediately know her. She's SoCal's "most famous seismologist" and the woman behind The Great California Shakeout earthquake drills. As a scientist who has spent her career trying to get people to prepare for seismic events and take precautions in the face of dangers that they think probably won't affect them personally, she's the perfect expert for this moment. And she's been preaching a new public health message to anyone who will listen. It's simple, direct, and to the point. Anyone can understand it. In the words of Lucy Jones, "Don't share your air."
As cases and hospitalizations surge here, I've been thinking how different things could be if our leaders all embraced simple, clear, science-based messaging. Wear a mask. Keep your distance. Don't share your air.
And if you're a politician or a person who doesn't believe covid is real? Hey! Here's an idea: don't share your air. Keep your mouth shut tight.
Upcoming Events
LIVESTREAMS:
- TODAY Saturday, July 18th at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET
COME ON DOWN, YOU'RE ALREADY HERE! It's Teacher Appreciation week on my Zoom game show. We'll be featuring teachers playing games with comedians from The Onion, Clickhole, and Conan and we'll be raising some money for the National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network. You can play along or just watch and laugh from the safety of your home. Link
This week’s list
GREAT:
Isabel Castro and Ora DeKornfeld have made a beautiful and powerful documentary about the trial of Scott Warren. Warren is an humanitarian aid worker in Arizona with the group No More Deaths, He faced felony charges and up to 20 years in prison for providing water and food so people wouldn't die in the desert. How did that become a crime? And what does it mean if it becomes illegal to give water to someone who might otherwise die of thirst? Castro and DeKornfeld followed Scott's work in the desert, his trial, and the repercussions on the community. USA v Scott (The film is free at the top of the page.)
FUNNY:
Hannibal Buress put out his new special for free on YouTube. It's hilarious. I love how not only does he have great jokes and stories, but he makes full use of the form. It's multimedia, there are visual effects and sound effects and a DJ. He made the whole special a sponsored ad. Even the end credits are packed full of jokes. But while the meta jokes and form-breaking stuff is fantastic, about halfway through, the special turns to Hannibal telling a story about being arrested by a cop for being disrespectful to him. Those thirty minutes are some of the best, tightest, and funniest comedy I've seen this year. The way he mixes his story and jokes with the actual bodycam footage and news reports about it... You've gotta see it. Hannibal Buress: Miami Nights
INTERESTING:
No one else breaks the broad range of stories that Jane Mayer breaks. Dark money,
predator drones, sexual misconduct, the prosecution of whistle-blowers... the list goes on. At a time when we need the truth more than ever, Mayer's investigative journalism uncovers stories no one else is telling. This report about "the secretive titan behind one of America’s largest poultry companies" is a look at the ways in which wealthy donors are taking advantage of coronavirus to put workers in danger. How Trump is Helping Tycoons Exploit the Pandemic
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Stay safe,
Chris